Technology is playing a crucial role in helping societies, governments, and humanity survive the coronavirus pandemic. Since the World Health Organization (WHO) categorized this virus as a global pandemic in March, we have seen businesses close their doors and people lose their jobs. It’s a brand-new world and one where technology becomes a vital component in any industry’s survival.
These new trends in technology are helping build a more stable and resilient society. Artificial intelligence, for example, has been very successful in the tracing of Covid-19 patients. Smartphone apps and data analytics play such a huge role in treating patients with infectious diseases and making businesses run more efficiently. Can you imagine the world now without your trusty Siri and Alexa?
E-Commerce Stores
In 2002, the outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) pushed a tremendous growth of business-to-business and business-to-consumer transactions in China. It empowered countries from outside China to tap the country’s rich manufacturing sector. Today, dropshipping businesses are all the rage on social media and online marketplaces.
But before you dive into this kind of business, you have to use another technology: software for enterprise risk management system. This type of software will identify, assess, and prepare a business plan for any danger, hazard, and other potential disasters that can interfere with the business operations and goals. It manages the risks that a business has to face.
Robot Deliveries
When you join the e-commerce industry, remember that it has to be complemented with a robotics system. While this is not a requirement for online stores yet, it’s best to be on top of the game. In-person delivery is still considered to be one of the riskiest jobs today. One social media personality, who hasn’t been out of her house since the pandemic in March, contacted the virus through shopping bags dropped off by a courier service on her doorstep.
Tech companies are ramping up their development of robot deliveries. It makes for a safer way to drop off and hand items to consumers. The only problem is that this kind of system might be too expensive for smaller businesses at first.
Patient Management System
Thanks to technology, hospitals, clinics, practitioners, and insurance companies can consolidate patients’ records. They can also improve the services they render to their patients by having access to a database of medical records. Of course, technology also made sure data is secured. Even the patients themselves can easily access their medical records with the right credentials.
Teleconference
Zoom, a video conferencing service, saw a meteoric rise during the height of the outbreak. And it looks like it’s here to stay, trumping over the likes of Skype and Google Meet. Since March 18, it has been the top free app for iPhones in the United States. What is there not to like? It is free. It can handle as much as 100 participants per meeting. On top of it all, it has a myriad of features that fit distance learning and work-from-home setups.
There is much more technology can bring to distance learning platforms. The possibilities that it can create is beyond one’s imagination. In the future, think about virtual realities. Can you imagine how your kids will feel like when there’s a holograph of their teachers in their rooms?
And it’s not just in academics that teleconference has been making a huge difference. It is making waves in online entertainment. Dance instructors can teach basic dance steps via the internet; painters and sculptors have been holding virtual online classes, too. You can now even visit museums and heritage sites through virtual reality videos.
Supply Chain
The global supply chain is heavily reliant on paper-based records and lack of diversity and flexibility. That made the supply chain vulnerable to pandemics. With Big Data, cloud computing, and the internet of things, technology pushed the digitalization of data sharing. It also encouraged the accuracy of the data that suppliers provide to each other. These things are now in place, so factories can share knowledge and transfer processes and transactions that are usually the first impacted by events such as economic downturns and pandemics.
Who would have thought that the world will go through this hideous and trying time this year? Weren’t economies booming before the pandemic? There was so much positive outlook for the world before the New Year. But if there’s one thing people are good at, it’s adapting to the circumstances—good or bad. And with technology on their side, who knows what they can develop?
